While the majority of the public considers these officers as merely supervisors of offenders, their role within the legal system is significantly broader and more complex.
[5] While their roles vary throughout the world, they are commonly responsible for upholding conditions of supervision as sentenced by a court or other government entity which includes specific case management aimed at reducing an offender's risk to reoffend.
[6] At a minimum, they are required to possess above average oral and written communication skills and have a broad knowledge of the criminal justice system.
[11] Typically, probation and parole officers do not wear standard law enforcement uniforms, but dress in plainclothes, business or casual attire.
Traditionally, these agencies have a loosely based paramilitary[citation needed] command structure, and are usually headed by a chief, field supervisor, or director.
In some U.S. states, probation departments fall under a county sheriff, and officers may be uniformed and integrated into the structure of the agency.
In both systems, some parole and probation officers supervise general caseloads with offenders who are convicted of a variety of offenses.
[15] In North America, standard training usually includes:[16] Many jurisdictions have also, in recent years, expanded basic training to include: Probation and parole officers in Australia serve an active role in recommending community based supervision to magistrates and judges.
Other duties include writing progress reports and working with many community agencies to help secure stable housing, employment and income.
The work involves focuses on the management of risk of serious harm associated with offenders, on sentence planning and the selection and delivery of a range of interventions aimed at reducing reoffending, and on supervising; and variously devising, delivering or subcontracting schemes by which offenders having "community payback" sentences can discharge their requirement to perform unpaid work.
Probation officers are also responsible for the provision of regular reports to courts of the progress of offenders on orders having drug testing requirements.
It has been developed through various amendment and enactment of laws and regulation along with the advancement of knowledge within criminal justice and criminology sphere.
[17] Most probation and parole officers in the U.S. are required to possess a college degree, a valid driver's license, and must pass a series of background checks and psychological exams.
These appointments usually consist of ensuring conditions of supervision are being upheld by gathering information related to the offender's whereabouts and activities.
[19] This may also include drug testing, specific case planning in the form of referrals to treatment programs based on court conditions or identified programming needs, and assisting offenders in overcoming barriers such as unemployment, homelessness, mental and physical health, etc.
Rules may include such things as obtaining permission before leaving the state of conviction, reporting residence and employment changes, avoiding contact with specific persons, zero tolerance for alcohol or illegal drug consumption, etc.
[23] In some instances, officers are permitted to conduct random offender residence inspections to search for contraband such as weapons and illegal drugs.
[25] When offenders violate the terms of their supervision, it is the duty of the officer to respond within the scope of departmental policy and procedure.
However, there are a small and decreasing number of parolees still being supervised that were sentenced prior to 1984, including court-martialed US military personnel.
[30] Other jurisdictions have expanded the parole officer's duties to include post-incarceration supervision under special sentencing, such as convictions requiring sex offender registration.
[34] Some jurisdictions operate probation services on a county level and officers are commonly employed by district, municipal, circuit courts, or by a sheriff's department.
Some jurisdictions may also employ private companies under contract to supervise certain offenders in order to alleviate heavy workloads of government probation agencies.
[41] Many juvenile probation agencies prefer to employ officers who have prior experience in counseling along with possessing graduate degrees.